Mark 04: Parables Reveal Wisdom

Jesus reveals himself as a master storyteller, using parables to convey complex spiritual principles about the Kingdom of God while teaching his disciples to apply these truths in real-life situations.

• Jesus teaches the Parable of the Sower to illustrate how people receive God's Word differently
• Parables are intentionally designed to reveal wisdom to those truly seeking understanding
• Understanding God's Word operates on a principle where those who apply what they know receive more
• Jesus demonstrates his authority by calming a fierce storm with just his words
• The disciples' fear during the storm reveals the gap between intellectual knowledge and active faith
• The "gospel in motion" means taking God's Word beyond quiet times into daily challenges
• Jesus doesn't promise a stormless life but his presence through every storm

Like, share, and subscribe to the YouTube channel and podcast. Leave a five-star review on the podcast and join the Bible Breakdown discussion on Facebook. You can get links to all of that and more at thebiblebreakdown.com.

Contact us-

Ask a Question
Send Encouragement

Take a Next Step-

SOAP Bible Study Method.
Bible Reading Plan.
Free Weekly Newsletter.

Socials-

Facebook.
Instagram.
X.
YouTube.

The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Bible Breakdown: Parables
• 3:56 Jesus as Master Storyteller
• 6:51 Parable of the Sower Explained
• 10:18 Kingdom Parables and Teaching Methods
• 12:08 Jesus Calms the Storm
• 14:29 Gospel in Motion: Faith Challenge

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, mark, chapter 4, and today's title is Parables Reveal Wisdom Parables Reveal Wisdom. There's a lot of titles that Jesus has, but one of the titles maybe we've never heard before is a master storyteller, and he definitely was, but his stories always had a reason to be told. We'll get into all that in just a moment, but you know what to do while you're getting your Bible out, while you're getting your your you know, uh, coffees, what I was trying to say out. Make sure you take just a moment to like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown discussion on Facebook. You can get links to all of that and more at thebiblebreakdowncom. Well, he's been with us over the past couple of days. Now we're going through the book of Mark and we have said that the best way to describe the book of Mark is the gospel in motion. And that makes sense, because we know that Mark got his stories, got the narrative from Peter, and so I just have this picture in my head of Peter going out and maybe getting on the steps of one of the beautiful buildings in Rome and he's telling the story about this, that or the other, and then at the end of the night, mark is writing it down and just slowly developing what this was. Or maybe this was the narrative that Peter would tell, because if you were to read Mark from beginning to end, it would only take you maybe 90 minutes something like that to do, and if you're sitting there and you're listening, you could hear the whole story at one time. And so it's amazing to think that this might have been what Peter would tell over and over again. And so we see that he just jumps right in to think that this might have been what Peter would tell over and over again. And so we see that he just jumps right in, which makes sense because that's probably Peter's personality and he is grabbing the attention of those who would have heard him. And so in chapter one, he jumps right in and we talked about how, over 40 different times, he uses some word that's close to the word immediately, just constantly moving, and he's talking about how Jesus is always with his people, and we're going to see that in what he talks about today in Mark, chapter four, and how he is a master storyteller. And this reminds me of speaking of stories.

Speaker 1: 2:40

Right when I was growing up as a teenager, there was a gentleman who lived in the community and he went to the church my dad pastored and he was just a farmer, and I say just a farmer as in like that. That was his life, as in just a farmer was like. He only did the one thing and he was wonderfully intelligent, very street smart, very just savvy, like that. But he would say I have a hard time getting a hold of things sometimes. This is deep south Alabama, right, I have a hard time getting a hold of things sometimes. This is deep South Alabama, right, I have a hard time getting a hold of things sometimes. And so I have to put things in story. So I got them and he would get up and he would preach sometime for my dad and he would say I don't really preach, I just tell parables. But he was from the deep South Alabama, so he didn't say parable, he said parable. Now you work on that one, see if you can say that and if you go to real life church next time you see me, I want you to say the word parable. Parable, I don't preach, I just tell parables. And what he would do is he would tell stories, because he realized, just like Jesus did, that if I tell you a story, it can relay a point. And that's what a parable or, as my friend would have said, parable is a complex story, or a story rather relating a complex spiritual principle. Jesus is trying to tell us an eternal spiritual principle and he's wrapping it in a story to help us get our minds around it. So that's what we're gonna see is, jesus was a master storyteller and he was finding a way to take complex spiritual principles and put them in a way that we all could grab a hold of. So if you're ready, mark, chapter 4, verse 1, says this Once again, jesus began teaching by the lakeshore.

Speaker 1: 4:18

A very large crowd soon gathered around him so that he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. He taught them by telling them many stories in the form of parables, or parables such as this one Listen, a farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered it across this field, some of the seed fell on the footpath and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow ground with underlying rocks. The seed sprouted quickly because of the soil and it was shallow, but the plant soon withered under the hot sun and since it didn't have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants, so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil and they sprouted, they grew and they produced a crop some 30, some 60, and some even a hundred times as much as had been planted.

Speaker 1: 5:15

Then he said anyone who has ears to hear should listen and understand. Now pause, what is this ears to hear thing? So basically, what he's saying is those who understand understand. So if you're trying to understand, then pay attention. So there's so many different types of people in his audience that he's talking to, and so he's saying those who have ears to hear, in other words those who are paying attention, notice what I'm saying. He's kind of winking at them to say this isn't just some story about a farmer, but I'm telling you something deep, so pay attention to see if you can pick it out. As a teacher, jesus is also trying to help them understand, but he's also drawing them into critical thinking. So he's saying pay attention, I'm saying more than you think I am.

Speaker 1: 6:00

Verse 10, later, when Jesus was alone, the 12 disciples, with others who gathered around, asked him what the parable meant. And he replied you are permitted to understand the secret of the kingdom of God, but I use parables for everything I say to outsiders so the scripture might be fulfilled. When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise they will turn to me and be forgiven. And then Jesus said if you can't understand the meaning of this par, otherwise they will turn to me and be forgiven. And then Jesus said if you can't understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand the other parables?

Speaker 1: 6:34

The farmer plants seed by taking God's word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed that fell on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy, but since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things. So no fruit is produced, and the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word, and they produce 30, 60, or even 100 times as much as had been planted. Now pause Now.

Speaker 1: 7:23

First of all, notice how Jesus told them. He said I am doing this that way. They have to think about it a little bit. He's saying that the scripture was going to say that I was going to teach and they weren't going to get it. In other words, I'm going to teach, but you've got to think to get it. That's one of the things I love about God. God wants to develop us as we walk through this life, and so he's saying I'm teaching them, I'm trying to get that critical thinking going on there. But then also can I tell you that this is a wonderful way to then realize he's saying for everything I'm saying there is a deeper understanding, and if you've been a Christian for very long, you can definitely identify with this passage.

Speaker 1: 8:00

You ever been around somebody I can't tell you how many times I've seen this happen where I would have somebody who would send me a YouTube video of a sermon they heard. They'd be like oh, pastor, you have to listen to this message, it's so good, it's so great. They just they talk it up, you know so much. And then I go and I listen to it. I'm like, well, I mean it's great and all, but I mean I don't know if I'd call it that great, but for them it was. And then same thing the other way around. I will take, I'll listen to a message and I'll be like, oh, my goodness, that is so good, that's amazing. I'm just so thankful to have heard that you know. And then I pass it off to somebody else and they're like well, it was a message, wasn't it? You know?

Speaker 1: 8:33

And that we react to God's word in different ways, based on, according to what we just read, seasons of life, willingness to receive and so many other factors. And so he's giving them a complex spiritual principle, that is, that God's word is received differently by different people, for different reasons. But instead of saying it like that, he puts it in a parable so we can understand it layer by layer. Here we go, verse 21. Then Jesus asked them would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a parable? So we can understand it? Layer by layer, here we go, verse 21. Then Jesus asked them Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not. A lamp is placed on a stand, where it will shine, for everything that is hidden will eventually be brought out into the open and every secret will be brought to the light.

Speaker 1: 9:15

Anyone who has ears to hear should listen and understand. And then he added Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little they have will be taken away from them. Jesus also said the heads of the wheat are formed. Finally, the grain ripens. As soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.

Speaker 1: 10:04

Jesus said another parable. How can I describe the kingdom of God? What story parable should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants and it grows long branches and birds can make their nests in its shade. Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables, but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

Speaker 1: 10:39

And then the evening came. As evening came, jesus said to his disciples let's cross over to the other side of the lake. So they took Jesus in a boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind, although other boats followed. But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat with his head on a cushion and his disciples woke him up and shouting teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown. And when Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves silence be still. Suddenly the wind stopped and there was a great calm. Suddenly the wind stopped and there was a great calm. Then he asked them why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? And the disciples were absolutely terrified. Who is this man? They asked each other. Even the winds and the waves obey him.

Speaker 1: 11:31

Wow, what we see is that Jesus was interested in healing the people, but he also wanted to share with people the kingdom of God, that he wanted them to understand the kingdom of God, and so he would teach them. But then you also see, at the end of the chapter, he also wants to help them, to show them how to live in the kingdom of God, and that's one of the things I love about God's word is my deepest hope for all of us is that every day we would come together and we would read God's word, is my deepest hope for all of us is that every day we would come together and we would read God's word. But here's the thing A disciple of Christ is someone who lives their life in motion, the gospel in motion, and that is. We hear God's word, we listen to it, we read it, we underline it, we soap through it and do all these different things, and then at some point we have to close our Bible and we go to work, we go do whatever it is we've got to do that day, and that becomes the moment when we get to put God's Word into action, one of the things I love about doing life together as the community of Christ followers is. The gospel doesn't end when we close our Bibles. The gospel is always in motion and we see that in this chapter where for a little while they were listening to him tell parables. And then they got to see it in motion To the point where Jesus is saying did you not listen to everything I said?

Speaker 1: 12:52

Notice, he rebuked the winds and the waves and he said why in the world were you afraid?

Speaker 1: 12:56

Do you still have no faith? In other words, were you not listening to all the stuff I just said? If I still have no faith, in other words, you're not listening All the stuff I just said, if I'm going to be with you, then wherever I am is where you want to be, because I bring the kingdom of God. And can I tell you in life so many times, if we're not careful, what we do is we'll read God's word, we'll take really good notes, we'll pray really good prayers, but then it's almost as though we leave God in our quiet time and then we try to go slay the dragon all by ourself, and then we come in the next day with our hair on fire because it didn't go so well and we do it over and over and over again. And if you do that, guess what that means. You're normal. We all struggle with that from time to time.

Speaker 1: 13:37

But the beautiful thing is God wants us to take his word hide. But the beautiful thing is is God wants us to take his word, hide it in our heart and then go into our life with joy, saying I know I'm going to face storms. Notice, they were with Jesus going through a storm that was so bad they were afraid they were going to die. So Jesus never promised us a stormless life. He promised us he would always go with us. And then we have the opportunity to see the gospel in motion in everyday life.

Speaker 1: 14:07

So here's my challenge for you Today when you're finished with this, don't leave it here. Take it with you and watch what God will do. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you, lord, that you are with us and that you want to show yourself strong in our life. I'm thankful, lord, that there is nothing that anyone is going through. Nothing is bigger than you that, god. You have the ability to do more than we can imagine. You have many enemies, but no rivals. I pray today, holy Spirit, you'll open our eyes to see that and to see that you are all together, lovely, powerful, strong and greater than anything we'll face. In Jesus' name we pray, amen, amen. God's word says in Mark 8, chapter 34, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me, the gospel in motion. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. From Mark, chapter 5.